Wire feed means



Nov. 16, 1965 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,217,757

WIRE FEED MEANS Original Filed June 23, 1960 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 R l.. 5mm mmm Nv Tou m06 @n Mm. up me NM. RH Y B -1 w. a. n 4.1:', m 1', 4.1 e

Nov. 16, 1965 R. P. Dol-:RER ETAL WIRE FEED MEANS Original Filed June 25, 1960 JNVENToRs '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 R/CHARD l? DoERER HERMA/v G. GUENTHER www,

' Nov. 16, 1965 R. P. Dor-:RER ETAI. 3,217,757

al Filed June 25, 1960 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS RICHARD l? Doe/m2 By HERMAN G. Gue/vn/ER NOV- 16, 1965 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,217,757

WIRE FEED MEANS Original Filed June 23, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 N \9 s s INVEN TOR. Plena/zo l? Doeeex By HERMAN G. Guam-Hen A rroRN's/S NOV 16, 1965 R. P. DoERl-:R ETAL 3,217,757

WIRE FEED MEANS original FiledOJune 25, 1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 /f/// F L/ m JNVENToRS P/cuaeo P Desks/2 L By HERMAN Ci. Gaf/vn/g .0 TTORNEVS NOV. 15, 1965 R. P. DOERER ETAL 3,217,757

WIRE FEED MEANS original Filed June 25, 19Go '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 n v n INVENTUM R/c/A/w P Doe/eee BY HERMAN G. Gunn/R s creams. (ci. 14o-3) This application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 38,402, filed June 23, 1960.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for making a strand reinforced panel and refers more particularly to mechanism for feeding the reinforcing strands into the panel.

Reinforced fabric panels of the type described herein are manufactured by inserting elongated reinforcing strands into a web or panel of fabric material. A reinforced panel of this type may serve, as an insulator between the overlying padding and underlying supporting spring structure of an upholstered assembly, for example.

One object of this invention is to provide a novel strand feeding mechanism for introducing the reinforcing strands into the web or panel of fabric or like material.

Another object is to provide strand feeding means which will engage the strand under pressure so as to advance the strand without slippage.

Another object is to provide strand feeding means including rotary members adapted to engage the strand under pressure and feed the same, the pressure engagement of the rotary members being sufficient to prevent any twisting of the strands at the outlet side of the rotary members from passing back to the supply from which the strand material is taken.

Another object is to provide strand feeding means comprising a pair of rotary members mounted in spaced relation on a rocker so as to peripherally engage the strand under pressure at spaced points and to advance the strand when rotated, and means for locating a panel in position to receive the advancing strand.

Another object is to so mount the rocker as to distribute the pressure of the rotary members upon the strand more or less equally despite variations in strand thickness.

Another object is to provide a second pair of rotary members which respectively cooperate with the rst pair of rotary members to peripherally engage the strand under pressure during the advance thereof.

Another object is to provide a plurality of strand feeders which are mounted in side by side relation to form a compact assembly.

Other objects and features of the invention will b-ecome apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an plan view of a strand reinforced panel adapted to be formed by the apparatus shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE l, with the left hand portion of the panel enlarged.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view diagrammatically showing the apparatus for forming the strand reinforced panels of FIGURE l, indicating also the positions of various fabric panels as they are advanced through the apparatus.

`FIGURE 4 is a plan view of portions of the apparatus in FIGURE 3, including the pleater structure.

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 4.

3,217,757 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4, showing portions of the strand feeding mechanism.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line '7 7 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view, with parts broken away, taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view of the wire spiralling apparatus taken on the line 9 9 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view showing the needle and strand structure between the pleater elements.

FIGURE 11 is a diagrammatic view of certain operating components of the pleater structure in retracted position.

FIGURE 12 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIGURE 1l, but showing the components in an intermediate position.

FIGURE 13 is a perspective View showing the operations performed on a fabric panel by the apparatus in FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and especially to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated an insulator pad or panel 10 comprising a length of burlap 12 having its edge portions extended over strips 14. The strips 14, which may be paper or any suitable material, extend beyond the edges of the burlap and are turned on to the upper face of the burlap as shown at 16 in FIGURE 2. The turned edge portions 16 are suitably secured to the burlap, for example by gluing, stapling or sewing. To reinforce the panel, a number of strands of wire 20 are provided.

In order that the ends of the reinforcing strands 2i) do not unduly project from the surface of the burlap, the reinforcing strands are preferably knotted at their ends as shown at 22 in FIGURE 1. By utilizing webs 14- as shown, the wire knots are shielded so as not to form sharp projections which might prove a safety hazard in handling of the panels and which undesirably lock adjacent panels together when they are stacked on one another.

Several operations are required to form the articles shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Thus, the burlap is cut to size, the strands 20 may if desired be given their undulatory configurations and threaded through the burlap, the end portions of the wire strands are knotted, the strips are applied to the burlap-strand assembly and folded over the edges thereof, and the entire assembly is adhered together at 18.

Referring to FIGURE 13, the fabric burlap material is taken from a supply reel 24 and advanced beneath a vertically reciprocating cutter 86 which cuts it into individual panels of predetermined dimension (in the arrow 87 drection). The conveyor means at 70 locates each panel at a predetermined point thereon, and introduces each panel into .a pleater mechanism which automatically gives the panel a pleated condition, as shown at 263.

While the panel is still in a pleated condition hollow pointed tubes or needles 344 are passed transversely through the pleats in the arrow 345 direction. Immediately thereafter the rolls 142 and 146 are rotated to drive wire strands 20 into the hollow needles. It will be noted that the wire strands are taken from supply reels 349 in a straight condition. If strand undulations are desired, they may be formed in the un-dulation-producing mechanism generally designated by numeral 101. FIGURE 13 shows only one needle and one wire strand, but it will be appreciated from a study of FIGURE 3 that in actual practice a multiplicity of the needle-strand arrangements are utilized.

It will be appreciated that hollow tubes 344 act as guides to permit the wire strands to be rapidly advanced into and through the panel pleats. When the strands have been ladvanced into the tubes (or while they are being advanced therein) the tubes are retracted from the pleats, leaving the strands embedded or extended within the pleats. The strands are then cut and knotted at both ends by automatic mechanisms 367 and 369.

After the knotting operations the panel-strand assembly (with the panel still in a pleated condition) is advanced into position beneath rollers l@ which rotate about xed axes to iron out the panel pleats and return the panel to a fiat condition.

The panel is then advanced through the space between two traveling webs I4 which are taken from supply reels 30 and folded about the fabric panel edges by means of the folder structure 542.

The web assembly is subsequently advanced over the adhering mechanism shown in FIGURE 13 as comprising the automatic stapling guns 63d. The strips are at this time still in the form of continuous strips, and such strips are therefore cut through at appropriate points by the automatic cutters 646.

At the last operation the complete panel assembly is passed onto the trap doors 670 and 672, which automatically swing down at a preappointed time to discharge the assembly into a shipping carton 694. When the carton is lled with a certain number or weight of panels it is replaced with an empty carton.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the burlap is supplied from a reel Z4 by a suitable fed roll, not shown, which is driven by any source of power. An idler roll 3S overlies and conceals the feed roll in FIGURE 3 and serves to maintain the burlap in driven engagement with the feed roll. The burlap moves through a trough 42 which serves as an accumulator space for maintaining Va web supply for the cut-olf structure or knife generally indicated at 6.

The burlap is fed from the bin by a rubber coated driver roll 46 and a rubber coated idler roll 48. The arrangement is such that as rolls 46 and 48 draw burlap from the trough, a switch is operated to energize the motor for the feed roll associated with idler roll 38 to replenish the supply of burlap in the trough.

The driver roll 46 is operated intermittently to advance the burlap a predetermined distance beyond the cutter or knife 86. After each intermittent advance of the continuous burlap web by the driver roll 46, the knife is operated to sever a panel 0f burlap from the leading end of the web, and the severed panel is deposited on and received by the conveyor chains 'itl which extend longitudinally of the apparatus in laterally spaced relation, being trained over sprockets on the shaft 66 adjacent the cutter and sprockets on the shaft S7 spaced from the shaft 66 in the direction of advance of the fabric through the apparatus, or to the right as shown in FIGURES 3 and 13.

The conveyor chains are driven so that their parallel top flights, which lie in a common horizontal plane, move to the right as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 13. The chains 70 are synchronized with the driver roll te so that they advance the panels deposited thereon a distance equal to the advance or feed of the web of burlap by driver roll 46, the intermittent operation of the chains 70 occurring at the same time as the intermittent feed of the burlap by roll 46. Preferably the chains 7@ are also briefly operated between intermittent operations of the web driving roll d6 to advance the cut panel deposited thereon a predetermined distance to provide the desired spacing between panels. The drive mechanisms for the roll d6 and for the chains 70, and the synchronization thereof forms no part of this invention and therefore will not be further described, although a full description is provided in our copending application Serial No. 38,402.

As an illustrative example, the roll 46 and chains '70 may be simultaneously actuated to advance the burlap supply past the upraised shear blade 86 a distance of 22 inches, and to carry a previously cut panel tZb for the same distance along the conveyor chains. While the roll 4d then remains motionless, the shear blade 86 is operated to cut a 22 .inch panel 12a from the burlap supply which is deposited on the rear end of the chains 70. Thereupon the chains 70 are again operated to shift the cut panel 12a downstream, or to the right, by a predetermined amount, as for example 8 inches. During this time the roll le remains motionless. Thereafter this same cycle is repeated over and over. The chains have longitudinally spaced barbs 7l (FIG. 12) thereon to hold the burlap in xed positions.

Chains 7d are of a length sufficient to carry the burlap from the burlap panel cutter 86 through a pleating station, needle insertion, wire advancement station, needle retraction station, wire knotting station, and burlap unpleating station. As each panel is moved by the chains "itl it initially passes into the pleater station 96, the function of which is to distort the panel into a wave-like configuration as shown at 263 in FIGURE 13 to permit the wire strands Ztl to be threaded therethrough.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the wire strands are supplied from suitable reels 9S, there being one reel for each strand to be threaded into the panel. T he illustrated machine is designed to simultaneously thread I8 wire strands into the panel, and there are therefore employed eighteen supply reels 98 for the individual strands. Each strand as it comes from its reel is not undulatory, but may if desired be given an undulatory shape before threading through the panel. The mechanism for giving each wire strand its undulatory or spiral configuration is diagrammatically illustrated at lltll in FIGURES 3 and 13. This mechanism is shown in detail in FIGURE 9.

Referring to FIGURE 7, there is shown a fixed housing structure litt@ having mounting means in the form of bearings Itl 2 in each of its end walls Ille for xedly supporting the through shaft Ille. Rotatably supported on shaft T166 are eighteen individual lever type movable supports MBS (one for each wire strand). Each lever is individually biased downwardly by means of a compression spring Mtl, the force of which is regulated by a set screw M2. As shown in FIGURE 6, each spring is mounted in a bore formed in the top wall of the housing MPO with its lower end engaging a lever. The screw M2 threads in the top wall of the housing and engages a piston-like member overlying the spring. The spring engages the swinging end of the lever and the shaft file supports the lever at the opposite end of the latter.

The intermediate portion of each lever is cut away to provide a side recess litri which receives the portion Illa of a rocker or bracket structure M8. Each recess IM is closed by a plate IZtl. The plate I2@ is secured in a relieved portion of the side of the lever so as to be flush with the side thereof as shown in FIGURE 7. A stub shaft 122 extends parallel to shaft 106 through each bracket portion 116 and also through the lever ltltl and plate 12th to pivotally mount the bracket portion relative to the lever. Each bracket or rocker lllt comprises a central plate M4 and two side plates IE6, the three plates being secured together by machine screws i128. Plate 11242- is cut away at I3@ (see FIG. 6) for accommodating the rotary dise structures 132. Each disc structure is rotatably mounted on a stub shaft 134i by means of roller bearings 13d. Lubricant is supplied to the bearings through ttings 135 and communicating passages f3.3. The ttings are carried on the two endmost brackets IIS and the passages 133 are formed in the stub shaft 134, the theory being such that lubricant is pressure fed to each set of bearings. One of the plates 12d in each bracket may be provided with .an O-ring seal to contain the lubricant.

Each rotary disc 32 comprises a gear portion Mtl and a smooth edged portion M2. The rotary discs 132 carried by each bracket or rocker IIS are disposed in the same plane in spaced relation to one another and the axes of rotation established by the shafts )i3d are parallel to one another and also to the lever supporting shaft we. Be-

neath each rotary disc on each rocker there is another rotary disc structure. Referring to FIGURE 6J the lower rotary disc structures each have a roller portion 146 which is like the portion 142 of the upper rotary disc except that instead of being smooth edged it is provided with a peripheral groove 148. Each lower disc structure also has a gear portion 144 in mesh with the gear portion 140 of the upper rotary disc 132. The lower disc structures are in the same plane as the upper disc structures and rotate on fixed shafts parallel to the stub shafts 134. The arrangement is such that a wire strand is received within the groove 148 in a tight pressure fit. In this connection, the depth of groove 14S is slightly less than the diameter of the strand so that the edge portion of roller 142 is enabled to have a pressure engagement with the strand under the force of spring 111).

Referring to FIGURE 5, the drive for gears 140 and 144 is shown to include a uid cylinder 150 having a piston rod 152 provided with a rack portion 154 meshed with gear 156, By a series of distance multiplying gears 158 through 164, a multiplied movement is transmitted to chain 166. Chain 166 drives a shaft which carries a series of gears 170 (eighteen in the illustrated embodiment) the arrangement being such that each gear 170 meshes with the gears 144 so as to drive them clockwise, in FIGURE 5. The gears 144 are in mesh with the gears 140 as previously described, and the arrangement is therefore effective to drive the individual strands in the direction of arrow 172 in FIGURE 6. Suitable one-way clutch means is located in the drive from rack 154 and chain 166 so that reverse movement of the rack will not reverserotate the strand advancing discs.

It should be noted that each spring 11) is adjusted to deliver a force to the discs 142 much greater than that necessary for merely insuring a frictional drive to the strand without slippage. The rollers 142 not only function as drive elements but also as anti-twist elements for preventing entanglement of the strand material on the supply reels. In this connection the spiralling mechanism shown in FIGURE 9, and described more fully hereinafter, imparts a torsional stress on to the strands, and the rollers 142, in cooperation with the lower rollers 146, are designed to absorb this torsional stress and prevent it from working back to the supply reels in such manner as to cause entanglement, distortion or fracture of the wire supply. The loading of springs 180 may be varied in accordance with different operating conditions, but in a particular illustrative installation the springs are selected and loaded to each deliver a force of several hundred pounds onto each lever 108.

The levers have flat sides, as seen in FIGURE 7, and the plates 120 are flush with the sides. Hence the levers are positioned atwise against each other in side-by-side relation to provide a bank of levers conserving space. The brackets 118, including the plates 124 and 126, have substantially the same width as the levers and, referring to FIGURE 8, will be seen to have flat sides. The brackets are positioned ilatwise against each other in side-byside relation in a bank, likewise to conserve space. It is accordingly possible for the strands to be fed into the spiralling mechanism in close proximity to one another according to the desired spacing in the finished article.

It will be noted that each bracket or rocker 118 carries two rollers 142 spaced apart in the direction of strand travel. By this arrangement the anti-twist force applied to each wire strand is maintained sumcient to prevent wire entanglement. Also, the arrangement insures that a large force will be applied on to the strand irrespective of variations in cross-section along the length of the strand. If the portion of the strand passing through the rightmost roller 142 (FIG. 6) were enlarged, then the bracket 118 could rock or shift slightly in a counter-clockwise direction about the axis of stub shaft 122 so as to momentarily shift the relatively high pressure onto the leftmost roller 142, compensating for any loss of pressure through the leftmost roller. Referring again to FIGURE 6', it will be noted that the rocker or bracket 118 pivots at 122 on an axis which lies on the perpendicular bisector of the straight line connecting the axes of shafts 134. Accordingly the pressure of the two rollers will be balanced despite slight rocking movement due to a changing crosssection in the strand.

Referring to FIGURE 8, it will be seen that the flush contacting side faces of the plates 126 of the brackets 118 provide communication between the aligned passages 133 in bearings 134. The O-ring seals in one of the plates 126 of each bracket seal the communication between the passages so that pressure lubrication of all bearings can be achieved by the supply from fittings 135 on the end most brackets.

The strand spiralling mechanism 101 may be provided, if desired, to impart a spiral configuration to the wire strands which are of course straight when they leave the cooperating discs 142 and 146 of the wire feed mechanism. The spiralling mechanism comprises a base 174 having a series of eighteen separate block elements or supports 176 adjustably secured thereon by means of set screws 178 which extend through a cover plate 180. The cover plate 180 extends laterally over all of the various block elements or supports 176 and is Xedly secured to the base 174 by a plurality of spaced screws 182. Spacers (not shown) are provided at the ends of the base 174 and cover plate to hold the two in the spaced positions illustrated in FIGURE 9.

The downstream face of each support or block element 176 is provided with an enlarged bore, and one end portion of a former rod 186 is closely received and secured in the bore by a suitable set screw as shown. Each rod 186 is provided in its outer surface with a straight groove portion 188 which extends from the end thereof received in the block element 176 and leads to a spiral groove portion 190 which extends entirely to the opposite or downstream end of the rod. The arrangement is such that as the wire strand is fed into the groove portion 190 by the action of the discs 142 and 146 of the wire feed mechanism it is twisted into 4a spiral configuration. Former rod 186 extends through a tubular member or sleeve 192, the internal surface of which closely surrounds the rod and cooperates with the groove portion 190 in forming a spiral passageway for the strand. It will be understood that the bore of block element 176 in which the end of the former ro-d is received cooperates with the straight groove portion 188 to complete the definition of the passageway for the strand. In order to minimize wear on the internal surface of sleeve 192, the sleeve preferably has a rotatable fit on the rod 186 so that the sleeve can turn under the influence of the advancing strand whereby different portions of the internal surface of the sleeve are presented to the spiral groove portion 190 during successive spiralling operations so as to prolong the life of the sleeve. In this connection, it will be appreciated that the strand spiralling operations are carried out at relatively high speeds, and the abrasive action on the sleeve may become excessive.

A second rod 196 is provided which is aligned with rod 186 and in substantial end to end abutting relation therewith. The rod 196 is slightly larger in diameter than the rod 186 and has in its outer surface a spiral groove 194 extending from end to end thereof. The end of the spiral groove portion 190 in rod 186 registers with the end of spiral groove 194 so that a strand can pass continuously through the two grooves in sequence. Each rod 196 is closely received within a bore in a block -or support 198 and secured thereto by means of a set screw as shown. The internal passage or bore in the block 198 closely surrounds the rod 196 and cooperates with the groove 194 to define a passageway for the strand. The upper face of each block 198 is provided with a pair of V-shaped grooves 200 which form cam surfaces for cooperation with the conical end portions of set screws 202.

Accordingly, the block 193 may be adjusted in the direction of length of rod 196, that is in the direction of the arrow 2M. When in the desired position of axial adjustment, the screws 202 may be advanced into the V-shaped grooves MB to lock the adjustment. Preferably the position of the block 19S is such that the rods 186 and 196 substantially abut in end to end relation as shown, so that there is a minimum clearance between the sleeve 192 and the end face of block 19d. The end of sleeve 192 should have a slight clearance with the block 19S and with the end of rod 196 so that the sleeve is free to rotate and not clamp against the downstream face of block 17 6.

The right end portion of block 19S as shown in FIG- URE 9 carries a cut-off block 206 which deiines a face 208 located to be traversed by a reciprocating cutter 210. It will be understood that at a predetermined point in the operating cycle, the Icutter 216 will be moved downwardly across the cut-off block to sever a length of the formed spiral strand.

As seen in FIGURE 9, the major diameter of the groove 194 is slightly greater than the major diameter of the groove 190. Also the pitch of the groove 194 as denoted by dimension 214, is greater than the pitch of groove 190 as denoted by dimension 215. These differences are designed to accommodate the tendency of the wire strand to spring back after its deformation in groove 190. The diameter and pitch of groove 194 will accommodate substantially all of the springback so that the wire strand in groove 194 is unstressed, and a precise length thereof will be discharged past the block 2416 during each operating cycle. In this manner the subsequent operations on the strand are more accurately performed and the resultant product (FIGS. l and 2) is more uniform.

As seen in FIGURE 9, the block 176 is formed with concave surfaces 392 which are substantially concentric with the discs 142 and 146 and extend in between the discs. The edge where the concave surfaces meet extends into the bite between the discs. A passage 393 in block 176 extends from the edge where the concave surfaces meet, to the passage formed by the strand portion 188 of the groove in rod 186 and is aligned with groove portion 188. Hence a wire strand fed from the discs 142 and 146 enters the spiralling mechanism through the passage 393 and is fed continuously through the spiral passages provided by the rods 186 and 196 to be given the desired spiral configuration.

The undulating or spiralling mechanism 1111 shown in FIGURE 9 may be employed with some or all of the strands, that is sorne of the strands may be fed into the fabric panel without being spiralled and some of the strands may be given different undulatory shapes than that produced by the mechanism of FIGURE 9. Also, some of the strands may be of relatively heavy gauge, and some may be of relatively light gauge in accordance with different characteristics to be given to different areas of the nal product. Those other strands which are to be given the same spiral conguration as the strand shown in FIGURE 9 will of course be formed to spiral configuration by similar apparatus to that shown in FIG- URE 9.

Referring to FIGURES 4 and 5, it will be seen that after the individual wire strands have been fed through the device 101, they are forced into a pleater station 96 which operates to form and maintain the burlap panel in a pleated condition during insertion of the wire strands.

The pleater operation may best be visualized by referring to schematic illustrations in FIGURES 1l and l2. As shown in FIGURE 1l, the burlap panel 12e is supported on the conveyor chains 70. Disposed beneath and between the various chains 70 are the elongated lower pleater elements or bars 224- which are each of a length corresponding to the cut length of the panel (that is the dimension in the direction of arrow 87 in FIGURE 13) plus an appropriate factor or margin. The various pleater bars 284 are carried on an elevator 288, and when the elevator is raised from its FIG. ll position to its FIG. l2 position the various pleater bars 254 are projected upwardly between the chains 7i? so as to lift the burlap panel from the chains as shown in FIGURE l2. In its FIG- URE l2 position the panel is located very closely adjacent to the lower edges of an upper set of pleater bars 252. rIhere are provided a center pleater bar, designated by numeral 27e, and additional pleater bars on both sides thereof. The pleater bars at the left of center pleater bar 276, as well as center pleater bar 276, are notched at their upper edges to form cam Surfaces 390 for causing the bars to be cammed downwardly by leftward movement of the overlying cam bar 271. The pleater bars at the right of center pleater bar 276, as well as center pleater bar 276, are suitably notched at their upper edges to form cam surfaces 391 for causing the bars to be cammed downwardly by rightward movement of cam bar 274. The cam bars 271 and 27d are shown retracted in FIG- URES ll and 12, and the pleater bars over which they extend when retracted are suitably notched to clear the cam bars. Suitable spring means, not shown are provided to retract the upper set of pleater elements 262 to the FIGURE ll position when the cam bars are retracted as illustrated.

In the preferred operation the cam members or bars 271 and 274 are moved simultaneously in opposite directions so as to cross one another and sequentially depress the various pleater bars in the upper set of bars, beginning from the center pleater bar 276 and continuing laterally outwardly with depressions of successive bars on both sides of the center pleater bar. The arrangement is such that initially the center pleater bar 276 is depressed downwardly so as to cooperate with the subjacent pleater bars to tightly grip the center area of the burlap panel. Therefore, as the other pleater bars corne down successively the panel will maintain its position relative to the longitudinal center line of the machine such that very little lateral bodily shifting of the panel will occur. Since the outermost pleater bars will not come down until the innermost pleaters bars have been depressed there will be no excessive strain placed on the burlap such as might tear or deform the burlap fibers.

FIGURE 4 provides an elevational view of the pleater station which, as will be seen, comprises two ribbed beams 107 and 1119 supported at their ends by pillars 111. A bridge structure 113 extends across the space between beams 107 and 109 to rigidify them and provide a support for huosing 115. Cylinder 216 has a rod 218 which extends into housing 115 to operate cam bars 271 and 274- by suitable mechanism not shown.

The foregoing brief description provides a general outline of the mode of operation of the panel pleating structure. For a more detailed description reference is made to applicants co-pending parent application, Serial No. 38,402.

It will be noted from FIGURE 10 that the lower edge portion of each pleater element 262 is provided with a series of slots 3110. In the illustrated mechanism each of the pleater elements 262 is provided with eighteen slots corresponding in number to the number of wire strands to be inserted through the fabric pleats. Each of the pleater elements in the lower set of pleater elements 284 is provided with a corresponding number of slots 302 in its upper edge, the arrangement being such that when the pleaters are in their FIG. 10 positions a series of eighteen passages is formed through the pleater element assembly.

The purpose of these passages is to permit hollow needle structures to be driven through the fabric pleats, said needle structures serving as guides for subsequent insertion of the spiral wire strands previously described.

Power for the needle insertion operation is derived from a fluid cylinder 3% shown in FIGURE 5. The piston rod for cylinder 306 carries a rack 308 which meshes with a gear 310 carried by the shaft of a larger gear 312. Gear 312 in turn meshes with a gear 314 carried by the shaft of a relatively large gear 316 which meshes with the gear 320 carried on the shaft of a ylarger gear 318. T he gear 318 meshes with a rack 326 which is connected at one end tol a crosshead 330 slidably supported on fixed guide rods 334. The crosshead 330 carries eighteen hollow needles 344, the arrangement being such that energization of cylinder 306 is effective to move rack 326 to the left as viewed in FIGURE to thereby carry the needles 344 through the pleater elements and pleated fabric panel as shown in FIGURE 10. The slots 300 and 302 in the adjacent edges of the pleater elements 262 and 284 line up transversely of the machine when the pleater elements are moved toward each other as shown in FIGURE 10 to provide elongated passages adapted to receive the respective needles. The needles are actually hollow tubes and are inserted through the pleated fabric prior to insertion of the wires to serve .as guides and prevent deflection or jamming of the wires during insertion of the latter.

The leading edge of each needle is sharply pointed as at 360, with the edge portion 362 tapering back at a small angle to form a pointed end operative to easily penetrate the burlap panel during high speed insertion of the needle. When the needles vare located within the pleater elements as shown in FIGURE 10, the cylinder 150 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is energized to feed the wire strands through the spiralling mechanism and into the hollow needles to the FIGURE 10 position. The hollow needles protect the wire strands during insertion so they will not interfere with the burlap threads.

It is contemplated that the insertion of the needles will be completed before introduction of the wires into the pointed ends of the needles. However, the needles may retract during the advance of the wires, the most important aim being to have at least the ends of the wire strands within the needles as the strands are fed through the pleats. However, the needles may remain in the extended position within the pleater station during the entire strand advancing operation.

After insertion of the wire strands into the extended hollow needles, the hollow needles are withdrawn to leave the strands threaded through the pleats of the fabric panel. The wire strands will th-en be severed and knotted at both ends. Preferably, the strand knotting operation is performed at the conclusion of the strand insertion operation while the fabric is in a pleated condition. The left hand knotter mechanism is shown at 367 and the right hand knotter at 369. These knotter mechanisms will be only briefly described, and for a complete description thereof reference is made to applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 38,402.

The left hand knotter 367 includes a vertically reciprocable member 384 which is moved -up and down by the fluid cylinder 408. The member 384, in addition to carrying certain knotter mechanism not shown, also carries a knife 210 which traverses the cut-off block 206 carried by the block 198 of the wire spiralling mechanism 101. Hence on downward movement of the knotter member 384 to knot the left end of the inserted wire strands, the strands are initially severed from the supply at the outlet of the spiralling mechanism. After the severed ends of the inserted strands have been knotted the fluid cylinder 408 is reversed to retract or raise the member 384.

The knotter mechanism 369 is operated simultaneously with knotter mechanism 367 and functions -to knot the other ends of the inseited strands. The crosshead 448 is operated by a fluid cylinder, not shown, to control the knotter via connections 450 and 454.

During the knotting operations the fabric panel is held in a pleated condition with the needles of course withdrawn. The wire strands 20 frictionally engage the burlap fibers and tend to hold the pleated form yof the panel.

Accordingly, after the inserted wire strands have been knotted, the fluid cylinder 216 is operated to allow the upper pleater elements to return to the position of FIG- URES 11 and 12, the cylinder 292 is operated to lower the elevator 288 carrying the lower pleater elements to the position of FIGURE 11, and the strand reinforced panel is moved to a flattening station which has the rubber coated rolls 510. The panel is carried from the pleater to the flattening station by the conveyor chains 70 during subsequent intermittent operation thereof. The rolls 510 serve to flatten the pleated panel so that it assumes substantially the configuration shown in FIGURE 2. The flattening station is more fully described in our copending parent application, Serial No. 38,402.

Thereafter, the conveyor chains 70 transfer the panel through the space between the traveling strips 14, which are taken from supply rolls 30 and folded about the edges of the fabric panel by means of the folder structure 542. In FIGURE 3, the panel IZf is shown between the folder structures. Panel 12e is approximately at the unpleating or flattening station and panel 12d is in an intermediate position.

The stapling guns 634 in FIGURE 13 secure the folded strips 14 to the edges of the reinforced panel, and thereafter the complete panel assembly is transferred to the point of discharge over the trap doors 670 and 672 which automatically open to deposit the panel assembly into a shipping carton.

The apparatus illustrated and described herein is operated so as to cut the fabric panels to length before pleatingr and insertion of the reinforcing strands. However, the panels could be cut to length after insertion of the strands. The shear blade 86 can be placed at the downstream end of the machine so that the severing of the individual panels occurs only after all of the other operations, pleating, strand insertion, unpleating, etc., have been completed. Apparatus as thus modified, in which the panels are severed as the -last operation, is described in our copending application Serial No. 38,402. Accordingly, the piece of material into which the strands are inserted may be either the individual panels or the continuous web before it is severed into panels. Stated another way, the panels into which the strands are inserted may be either separate members already severed from the-continuous web, or they may be unsevered and still an integral part of the web.

Whether the panels are severed before plea-ting, as illustrated and described, or as the final operation, the operation of the strand feeding apparatus will be the same.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In apparatus for forming a strand-reinforced piece of burlap or the like, strand feeding means including an elongated lever, means mounting one end of said lever for pivotal movement about a fixed axis, a rocker, means mounting said rocker on said lever between the ends of the latter for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to said fixed axis, a first pair of discs, means mounting said discs on said rocker in spaced relation for rotation in the same plane about axes parallel to said fixed axis, the axis of pivotal movement of said rocker lying on the perpendicular bisector of the straight line connecting the axes of rotation of said discs and spaced a substantial distance to one side of said line, a second pair of discs mounted for rotation in the same plane as the first pair of discs on axes parallel to said fixed axis and spaced to the opposite side of said line, the discs of said second pair being respectively in substantial peripheral contact with the discs of said first pair to grip a strand therebetween, means for rotating said discs to advance the strand, means for urging said lever about said fixed axis to press said first pair of discs toward said second pair of discs, and means for locating a piece of burlap or the like in position to receive a strand advanced by said discs.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said urging means includes a spring acting on the opposite end lll of said lever, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

3. In apparatus for forming a strand-reinforced piece of burlap or the like, strand feeding means comprising a plurality of individual strand feeding devices, each strand feeding device including an elongated lever, means pivoting said levers at one end on a common axis in side by-side relation, said levers having at sides in substantial surface-to-surface engagement with each other, a rocker pivoted on each lever on an axis parallel to said common pivot axis of said levers, said rockers having flat sides in substantial surface-to-surface engagement with each other, strand advancing discs carried by said rockers, means for rotating said discs, and means for locating a piece of burlap or the like in position to receive a strand advanced by said discs.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein each rocker has a pair of said discs, means mounting each pair of discs on a rocker in spaced relation for rotation in the same plane about axes parallel to the pivot axis of said rocker.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein each lever has a recess between its sides in which a portion of a rocker is received, and each rocker has a recess between its sides in which said discs are received.

6. in apparatus for forming a strand-reinforced piece of burlap or the like, strand feeding means comprising a plurality of individual strand feeding devices, each strand feeding device including an elongated lever, means pivotally mounting said levers at one end on a common axis in side-by-side relation, said levers having flat sides in substantial surface-to-surface engagement with each other, a rocker for each lever, means mounting said rockers on said respective levers between the ends of the latter for pivotal movement about axes parallel to said common pivot axis of said levers, said rockers having flat sides in substantial surface-to-surface engagement with each other, a pair of discs for each rocker, means mounting said pairs of discs on said respective rockers with the discs of each pair in spaced relation to each other for rotation in the same plane about axes parallel to said common pivot axis of said levers, the axis of pivotal movement of each rocker lying on the perpendicular bisector of the straight line connecting the axes of rotation of said pair of discs mounted thereon and spaced a substantial distance to one side of said line, a second pair of discs associated with each of the first-mentioned pair of discs, means mounting the discs of each of said second pair of discs for rotation in the same plane as the discs of said rstmentioned pair of discs associated therewith on axes parallel to said common axis of said levers and spaced to the opposite side of said line, the discs of each of said second pair being respectively in substantial peripheral Contact with the discs of the associated tirst pair to grip a strand therebetween, means for simultaneously, intermittently rotating all of the discs of said lirst-rnentioned pairs in one direction and all of the discs of said second pairs in the opposite direction to effect the advance of a strand by each of the associated first-mentioned and second pairs of discs, means for urging said levers about said common axis to press the first pairs of discs toward the second pairs of discs, and means for locating a piece of burlap or the like in position to receive strands advanced by said strand feeding devices.

7. The apparatus delined in claim 6, wherein each lever has a recess between its sides in which a portion of a rocker is received, and each rocker has a recess between its sides in which said discs are received.

S. The apparatus defined in claim 7, wherein said urging means includes a spring acting on the opposite end of said lever, and means for adjusting the tension of said spring.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,393,900 4/1946 Welch 153--66 2,800,151 '//1957 Shockey et al. 140-3 3,010,489 11/1961 Lenart et al. 140-3 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR FORMING A STRAND-REINFORCED PIECE OF BURLAP OR THE LIKE, STRAND FEEDING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED LEVER, MEANS MOUNTING ONE END OF SAID LEVER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT A FIXED AXIS, A ROCKER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID ROCKER ON SAID LEVER BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE LATTER FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO SAID FIXED AXIS, A FIRST PAIR OF DISCS, MEANS MOUNTING SAID DISCS ON SAID ROCKER IN SPACED RELATION FOR ROTATION IN THE SAME PLANE ABOUT AXES PARALLEL TO SAID FIXED AXIS, THE AXIS OF PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ROCKER LYING ON THE PERPENDICULAR BISECTOR OF THE STRAIGHT LINE CONNECTING THE AXES OF ROTATION OF SAID DISCS AND SPACED A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE TO ONE SIDE OF SAID LINE, A SECOND PAIR OF DISCS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE FIRST PAIR OF DISCS ON AXES PARALLEL TO SAID FIXED AXIS AND SPACED TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID LINE, THE DISCS OF SAID SECOND PAIR BEING RESPECTIVELY IN SUBSTANTIAL PERIPHERAL CONTACT WITH THE DISCS OF SAID FIRST PAIR TO GRIP A STRAND THEREBETWEEN, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID DISCS TO ADVANCE THE STRAND, MEANS FOR URGING SAID LEVER ABOUT SAID FIXED AXIS TO PRESS SAID FIRST PAIR OF DISCS TOWARD SAID SECOND PAIR OF DISCS, AND MEANS FOR LOCATING A PIECE OF BURLAP OR THE LIKE IN POSITION TO RECEIVE A STRAND ADVANCED BY SAID DISCS. 